Tortilla Soup
For the Stock:
1 fully cooked whole rotisserie chicken
Salt (to taste).
1 small onion (about 3 ounces), peeled, trimmed, and chopped.
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
2 teaspoon ground celery seed.
2 teaspoons ground cumin.
2 ears of fresh corn – husks removed.
8 cups water.
For the Soup: 8 (7-inch) corn tortillas.
Corn oil, for frying.
2 tablespoons corn oil, for sauté.
1 cup chopped onions.
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves. 1 tablespoon chopped garlic.
Fresh Corn Kernels (from the above corncobs).
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded (about 6 to 8 Romas).
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
Garnish: Fried corn tortillas.
Grated Cheddar Cheese.
1 large avocado – peeled and sliced.
For the Stock: Using a large knife, carefully scrape the kernels off the corncobs and set aside, reserving the cobs. Place chicken in a large stockpot and add the corncobs, and the remaining ingredients. Season with a teaspoon of salt or to taste. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 2 to 4 hours. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Strain the liquid into another pan, remove the chicken and set aside. Remove the fat, skin and bones from the chicken and discard along with the corncobs. Dice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces or shred. Set aside.
For the Soup: Preheat the fryer. Cut half of the tortillas in quarters and thinly slice the other half. Fry both cuts of tortillas in batches, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and set aside. In a stockpot, over medium heat, add the oil for saute. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and corn kernels. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Crush the reserved fried tortilla quarters over the tomatoes. Stir to mix. Stir in the reserved chicken stock, and the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Re-season the soup. Stir in the reserved diced chicken, and cilantro. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with the fried tortilla strips, avocado and Cheddar cheese.
Fairly Unbalanced: 